Instagram model sues artist Richard Prince over copyright

The artist selling people's IG images as art has run into his fourth copyright breach

L.A-based model and makeup artist Ashley Salazar has filed a case for infringement of copyright against Richard Prince, the artist who created a show with images taken from Instagram accounts.

Salazar, a makeup artist who’s toured with Kanye West and who works under the name Mynxii White, is suing Prince and his former dealer Gagosian Gallery over the two-year-old image lifted from her account. The picture is a mirror selfie of Salazar with cat emojis layered on top. According to the Art Newspaper, she registered the image for copyright, and the case may be tried by jury in US District Court of the Central District of California.

Prince’s work first came to public attention after the showing of his New Portraits series, which featured images from various Instagram accounts. Kate Moss, Suicide Girls and other popular IG models were included.

The lawsuit claim asserts that Prince wrongfully created copies of Salazar’s photo without any previous consent, and “engaged in acts of affirmative and widespread self-promotion of the copies directed at the public at large”. Her lawyer confirmed that she had filed for copyright of the image with the US Copyright Office in March. He said that Prince’s work is “an unauthorised use and we’re looking to vindicate our client’s rights”.

It’s the fourth copyright claim against the artist; two came about after his 2014 show, which are still pending.